His death triggered a very public outburst blaming the sport of football for the trauma to his brain which led to his self inflicted demise. This makes sense considering the intensity of the sport. There has reportedly been over 1500 lawsuits pursued against the NFL claiming the sport was the blame.

I hope this isn't true for the sake of the men who are married to playing the game!

After these accusations, a medical study was conduction to research the validity of these harsh suggestions. The results of the study were that NFL players statistically live longer than the general public.

This is also makes sense considering the health conditions these players need to reach in order to be successful at the game. You need to be conditioned and trained to take a hit. You need to be on top of your diet to make sure you are intaking the right foods. You even need to be dedicated to sleeping the appropriate number of hours. As a football player, heath should be your number one priority.

How do I know all this? My brother was the captain on the varsity team for years!

78 comments:

I would like this study to create outcry about boxing. I hate boxing, it is not a game at all just like golf. And I find lazy people using these exceptions as excuses to push health maniacs refrain from sports. Driving causes accidents, should all give up driving then? I have heard of suicides in s/w companies more than this. Did the suicide count in Asia affect iPad sales in US anyway?

It's hard to say what the cause may be. The manager of Wales football team Gary Speed hung himself a few months ago. This was a man who had a successful career as a player and was now an international manager but he still took his own life. It seems this was due to problems in his marriage rather than the sport itself.

My brother played football for 15 years. My father played and coached. They are very healthy and don't show any signs of mental or physical repercussions. Well, aside from where bones were boken and muscles torn.

this is one of the reasons why I've never understood American love for all things competitive. They teach their kids to be competitive from the very early age and to see competitions and rivals everywhere, and that they are losers if they're not winners. Such a sad sad sad thing...

Nah football is not the reason. A lot of sport players often make bad choices due to the increase in pay and the fame, and then others have problems anyone would have it just happens that they're football players. A few are always going to have issues, but that's America for you. A bunch of people finger-pointing at something that's not the real cause.

Yeah I've seen the same thing with boxing and even wwe wrestling, people blaming the sport for what happened. When in reality what is really going on is the people need to place blame somewhere, so they choice the sport or whatever else to blame. It is never the person themselves, oh no they were so happy and so this and so that, we can't blame them let's blame the sport, the tv, the dog, etc.

There may be an underlying cause with the sport because of the life choices it allows people to make with the money and fame they get, but in the end it is the person who decides their choices and the person who snaps and kills themselves, not the sport, the tv or the dog that did it. But it's people nature to try and console themselves by placing blame elsewhere.

So do football do it? Nope! Shame it had to come to it, but the final decision was his.

They are saying, since he's a linebacker, all those rough hits he took caused trauma to the brain and cognitive damage. It makes sense, but then wouldn't everyone else be suffering from the same symptons? Also, the player needs to know their limits. This player announced his retirement 2-3 times. They also say that each hit a football player takes is comparable to a car accident.

But, when push comes to shove, I think they are pin pointing blame on the game. There are many careers that have very high suicide rates. It could be the stress of fulfilling your contract more than the hit. Who knows...

But, the study did show that it was inaccurate. Now, of course, people saying that the study is inaccurate. One big circle!!!

Yeah it is possible and likely that some get brain and/or cognitive damage from a hit. I guess it all depends on how they get hit too. But I agree, if it was the case then not all but the vast majority would be suffering from the same thing. Wow each hit is comparable to a car accident? No wonder they only play so many games a year. Yeah one has to know their limits and not be blinded by the spotlight and fame and such.

LOL dentists supposedly have a high suicide rate and they don't go through much physical altercations. Stress leads to it too, there are prob a number of factors but it is ridiculous just to blame the sport for it.

Studies are always like that too, one big run around as people will use them to find the results they want or don't want.

i think some people (not only players) have a lot of pressure and stress and maybe the players more!You know is not only for win the terrible is all for money too!is so sad I dont like these competetive things!

I really enjoyed this post, Jax. As a fellow Pats fan, it was just surreal when I heard that Junior had taken his own life. He always seemed so happy and enthusiastic whenever the cameras were on him! It's just so sad. I wonder how much of these NFL suicides are fueled by missing the spotlight? Most of these guys are the center of attention from childhood, through high school, through college, and on to the NFL. It has to be at least a little depressing when that spotlight dims and they can no longer do the one thing they have always done. R.I.P. #55, and thanks for writing this Jax.

First off, I love that we got another Pats fan on my page!! As a NYer, I always feel like the odd man out ;) lol

It was VERY sad when he passed. I agree with you about the spotlight. Maybe that's why he returned after announcing his first retirement. We'll never know, but I hope for the sake of my boys, that this is not true.

I was so sad to hear about his passing! There's a special place in my heart for victims of Suicide and it really makes me SO sad. I'm a big believer in the domino effect that depression and/or mental disease can have on one's well-being and I always think of suicide as someone dying from an "illness". Because- they did.

With that said, I certainly can't speak to an educated level about Football vs. brain injury. I will say that I would imagine that blows in practices and games over a number of years are likely to take a toll. I don't necessarily think football is to "blame" but I can see the correlation between the two. I look forward to hearing the results of the study on Junior.

Yes, it's a very sad story! I agree with you that suicide is an illness. It's a very sad and tragic illnes...

I really hope that this is not the cause, but all those hits and blows from other huge linebackers has to eventually catch up with you. While it makes sense, I can't see it causing someone to commit suicide. The statistics just don't match up.

Players go in knowing that there is risk of injury, just like any other physical profession. I am glad the study disproved that they have a shorter life span. I don't see it as any more dangerous than construction or any other physical labor really.

I worry that the players might be killing them selves not cause of physical trama recieved but because of stress and frustration and a feeling of worthlessness. Pretty much the same reason others kill them selves.

What percentage of football players kill themselves? What percentage of people kill themself?

I believe more of it is stress and frustration. Especially with football, sport's careers are very high stress! You contract is based upon how many hits you make, yards you run, and etc. If you don't perform up to par and push your body's limits you may not make the money you want.

@Berserc,Athletes are not anywhere near the top of the suicides by profession list: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-suicidal-occupations-2011-10#1-marine-engineers-are-189-times-more-likely-to-commit-suicide-19

i have to say, while i think these players are aware that they play a very dangerous sport and there are major injuries that can happen, i'm glad that they're using some of these tragedies to learn more about the brain and at least give them more informed information about their jobs.

A similar tragic story involved former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson. It must be very difficult for these guys who are use to being so independent and self sufficient to being reduced to depending on others. I remember seeing Dave on a local Chicago talk show with an NFL player who could no longer even support his family because his arms were injured so severely in the NFL. At the time, Dave did not seem to be very sympathetic to the man's plight, because he was one of these self-reliance, pull yourself up by your bootstraps kinda guys. Ironically, Duerson seemed to end up in the same boat as the guy he seemingly did not have any empathy for when the shoe was on the other foot. Regarding the violence of the sport, people often argue whether or not boxing should be abolished. It is hard to imagine sports history without figures like Muhammad Ali... I guess you have to weigh whether or not, violent sports contribute enough positive things to society to make the downside of the brutal violence worth it.

This is a very sad story and so often the first thing the media does is to "blame" something or someone. Compassion for this man who felt so bad that he chose to take his own life is the appropriate response.

I'm wondering Jax, what these guys experience physically later in life with all the trauma to their bodies during a game. I thinking, knees, back etc. Our rugby players tend to have a hard time when they get older. Joint damage is the biggest problem for them when they hit their 50's

It really is a very sad story. It's sad that the media is focusing on this instead of focusing on highlighting all the great things in his life and career.

I'm sure the physical effects as they got older are awful. I can't imagine getting mauled by a 350 pound man and walking away scott free. That's interesting about the rugby players. Is rugby more intense than football? I would imagine so...

I''m getting ready to paint 3 female gunslinger figures and I'd like to name one of them Jax. The one I have picked out for you is wearing a sexy cowboy hat and has long hair. I'm hoping to post them Saturday as a "Work In Progress" meaning I'll only have part of them painted. I'll post them again when they are finished.

He was one of the best linebackers of our time and certainly the best the San Diego Chargers ever had when he was with them through most of his career. (although he was on the Patriots as you said when he died). I did not see the speech his mother made but I'm sure it was moving. May he rest in peace.

Yes, he was a Charger at heart ;) He was only on the Patriots for 2 years. They signed him b/c it was the year that the whole defense got injured. He was a GREAT linebacker!! I really hope he does rest in peace and that his friends and family find comfort.

this was so sad. when his mother gave that interview, my heart went out to her. i think he tried to kill himself once before by driving off the road. he said otherwise, but this has been going on for awhile. i think they'll be studying his brain. so sad.http://www.averysweetblog.com/